It’s 1997 another time! Or so the characters hold proclaiming all through Jennifer Kaytin Robinson’s trope-heavy legacy sequel “I Know What You Did Final Summer time.” Very similar to how 1995’s “Scream” jumpstarted the slasher craze that birthed the unique “I Know What You Did Final Summer time” (each written by Kevin Williamson), 2022’s “Scream” reboot has opened the floodgates for this newest wave of legacy sequels the place the OGs return for nostalgia’s sake.
For stars Jennifer Love Hewitt and Freddie Prinze Jr., meaning dusting off their roles as Julie and Ray. And whereas this film isn’t shy about why they’re again, it nonetheless tries to have it each methods. At one level Hewitt’s character deadpans, “Nostalgia is overrated.” Positive, Julia, so what are you even doing right here?
It’s not just like the 1997 model was all that outstanding within the first place. A rewatch will remind you that, apart from some wacky performing selections by Prinze Jr. and Ryan Phillippe, it was a reasonably limp affair. One factor Robinson does enhance right here is the killer. The person within the slicker is again, however this time he’s vicious, intrusive, and delivers gnarlier, bloodier kills, the sort of gory enjoyable the unique sorely lacked. So hey, factors for that.
Apart from the elevated brutality, although, it’s mainly only a retread of the unique, full with acquainted plot beats and thinner, generally laughable plot conveniences. The ultimate reveal? Referred to as it from the shoreline. If you happen to’re even midway paying consideration, you’ll see it coming.
And actually, who was asking for this? Did anybody even care in regards to the unique collection of movies? Positive, there was that 1998 sequel set within the Bahamas (which will get a cute wink right here), however the reality is the franchise’s legacy was that it failed to hold the torch “Scream” lit. Practically thirty years later, this feels just like the studio scraping the underside of an already nugatory barrel, making an attempt to mine money from a stone that wasn’t helpful to start with.
The film stumbles out of the gate with a clumsy exposition dump and 0 character improvement. What is defined about our closing woman, Ava (Chase Sui Wonders)? She’s bisexual, her mother’s useless, and… that’s about it. None of it issues to the plot anyway. The remainder of the crew is equally sleight: Danica and Teddy (Madelyn Cline and Tyriq Withers), who’re engaged; estranged pal Stevie (Sarah Pidgeon), whom they simply so occur to run into at an engagement celebration; and Ava’s ex Milo (Jonah Hauer-King), who she’s very a lot nonetheless pining for.
Naturally, it’s the Fourth of July, and the gang decides to tug off for some fireworks, booze, and weed, which inevitably results in them by chance inflicting a automobile to careen off a cliff. One 12 months later, they’re being stalked by a fisherman copycat, full with hook, harpoon, and… a knife now? Higher run earlier than you’ll be able to say the Hash-Slinging Slasher.
And with no character amongst them, the group turns to the lone survivors of the Southport bloodbath. Enter Julie and Ray, bitterly divorced and unable to face one another. You could possibly reduce the strain with a… nicely, .
Co-writers Robinson, Sam Lansky, and Leah McKendrick pepper in bizarre meta commentary in regards to the franchise lore, treating it like sacred textual content, however for what? Each time the film tries to dig deeper, it finally ends up tripping over itself to attempt to justify why a copycat killer would emerge three a long time later nonetheless rocking the slicker, squeaky boots, and hook. Southport will need to have the worst Yelp evaluations conceivable.
By the point we get to the so-called stunning reveal, the movie’s already burned by way of any silver of goodwill it may need had. And the reason? Don’t trouble. It’s a pile of convoluted nonsense that solely raises extra questions than it solutions. A horror podcaster in some way will get roped in, the city has rebranded itself as Northport to spice up tourism (as a result of that’ll assist!).
Don’t even get me began on the ham-fisted makes an attempt to say one thing about classism or generational trauma. The film doesn’t have the instruments to discover any of it in a significant approach. Latest slashers like “Coronary heart Eyes” and “Thanksgiving” have had enjoyable within the style sandbox, leaning into their themes and carving out identities. “I Know What You Did Final Summer time” has none. It’s caught up to now, paralyzed by its personal lack of creativeness nonetheless fumbling round at midnight, hoping an outdated hook can nonetheless do the job.
Time to chop the road. This franchise is useless within the water.
I KNOW WHAT YOU DID LAST SUMMER is now taking part in in theaters.